Katherine Lorraine Pendergrass

Knoxville, TN – Katherine Pendergrass, 82 (a/k/a Miss Kay or Nanny) passed away peacefully in her home with her family at her side on February 8, 2021. She courageously fought a thirteen-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease that was complicated at the end by a bout with the COVID-19 virus. Kay was born on November 14, 1938 in St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada. She was the fourth of eight children born to William and Florence Warford. She is preceded in death by her mother and father; sister, Elizabeth (Betty) and her husband Matt Doyle; brother, Cyril Warford and his wife, Pat; brother-in-law James Baird; sister, Frances Warford; sister, Rosemary Sullivan; sister, Florence Francis Lahey; and grandson, James (Tripper) Caldwell. She is survived by her sister, Phyllis Baird; sister, Maureen Pike (and husband, Steve), brothers-in-law, Fred Sullivan and James Lahey and nieces and nephews in Canada and Tennessee too numerous to mention. She and her husband, Wes, enjoyed 62 years of marriage together. They lived at various times in St. John’s, Newfoundland; Oxnard, CA; Goose Bay, Labrador; Smyrna, TN; Marquette. MI; Montgomery, AL; and Knoxville, TN where they settled when Wes retired from the USAF in 1975. Another career move took them to Hampton, VA in 1985, where they remained until 2007. They then returned to Knoxville, which they considered to be their permanent home. During their journey through life, Kay and Wes were blessed with three children. The first was born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the second was born in Oxnard, CA and the third was born in Smyrna, TN. James Wesley Pendergrass (and his wife, Vickie), Karen Marie Lawson (and her husband, Kris) and Theresa Watson all reside here in Knoxville. Kay and Wes were also blessed with twelve grandchildren, eleven of whom survive: Jessica Livingston, Laura Pendergrass, Philip Pendergrass (and wife, Kristin), Logan Palmer (and husband, Ben), Erika Watson, Dillon Shafferman, Joseph Pendergrass, Hunter Shafferman (and wife, Julee), Max Batista, Amber Fowler, Eden Batista and honorary grandson, Christopher Breeden. The blessings continued with the addition of nine great-grandchildren: Raena Lannom, Aylah Boyd, Alexia Pendergrass, Allen Boyd, Isaiah Pendergrass, Dane, Jordan and Tyson Palmer and Addison Grace. In addition to being an outstanding wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Kay also spent several years caring for children. She was known as Miss Kay while working at Powell Day Care, Powell United Methodist Church Child Care in Knox County, plus two additional child care centers in Virginia. Kay was a devout Catholic throughout her life and was educated in Catholic schools in Newfoundland. She and Wes are currently members of Immaculate Conception Parish in Knoxville. The family wishes to thank the staff of NHC Healthcare in Downtown Knoxville for caring for our treasured mother and wife for over three years. We would also like to thank the staff of Amedisys Hospice, specifically Dee and Victoria, along with Kay’s granddaughter, Erika Watson, for their outstanding services during her final days. Mynatt Funeral Home Halls Chapel will be handling the final arrangements. Visitation by friends and family will be on Thursday, February 11, 2021 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. All COVID-19 precautions and protocol will be followed. Family and friends will meet at 10:45am on Friday, February 12, 2021, at Lynnhurst Cemetery on Adair Dr. in Knoxville for an 11:00am graveside service. In lieu of flowers please direct donations to Alzheimer’s Tennessee. For those family and friends who will not be able to attend, Mynatt’s will provide live streaming for anyone interested in attending from afar.